Royal Enfield has unveiled two new retro motorcycles based on its popular 650cc parallel-twin platform. The Classic 650 and Bear 650 made their debut at Milan’s EICMA motorcycle show and will be available by February 2025.
The Indian owned company has clearly been looking at its storied back catalogue when coming up with its new models for 2025. Simultaneously described as ‘all-new’ while being ‘based on the Interceptor 650’ the Bear 650 is a very cool looking scrambler, which has been inspired by Eddie ‘Fast Eddie’ Mulder, who won the Big Bear Run, a demanding Californian desert race, in 1960.
Despite its ‘all-new’ tag, the Bear shares the excellent Interceptor’s 47bhp, albeit with a new two-into-one exhaust system which is said to offer a broader power delivery. It’s a unit which has been around for a few years now and is well proven. The air-cooled block provides a great platform for the Bear and from there the classic scrambler styling cues kick in: 19” front wheel, open block tyres, number boards and a restyled back end all create a motorcycle we expect to sell in good numbers this year.
The extra spec over the Interceptor includes Showa upside down forks and a TFT dash which Royal Enfield also describes as ‘all-new’, and which is compatible with the company’s clever turn-by-turn Tripper navigation system. With longer travel suspension, wide bars and a contoured seat, the Bear 650 should be at home down light fire roads, even if it’s probably not likely to be taking on the Mojave desert any time soon.
Three smart colours will be available: Petrol Green, Golden Shadow (black and yellow) and a Fast Eddie inspired ‘Two Four Nine’ livery, which features a chequered flag design and number boards with Mulder’s 249 racing number. With prices starting at £6749 the Bear 650 looks to continue Royal Enfield’s recent run of successes.
At £6499, the Classic 650 is cheaper still. Following in the wheel tracks of the smaller Classic 350, the 650 comes in four colour options (red, blue, teal and the more expensive chrome) it takes its design cues from post-war Royal Enfields. It’s based on the Super Meteor and Shotgun 650 cruisers, promising a more relaxed ride than the Bear, and we particularly like the headlamp nacelle and shrouded effect on the Showa forks. It’s full of neat little design features which hark back to a bygone age and has a stripped back style which is so rare these days. The pared back nature of the Classic 650 means it comes with a solo saddle as standard, although the manufacturer says a dual seat unit will be available as a bolt on optional extra.
As well as the two 650s, Enfield is also making its debut in the EV world, albeit with a sub brand named Flying Flea.
Odd as the name sounds, it’s actually a reference to a Royal Enfield model from the 1940s. Where big and expensive electric motorcycles still struggle to gain traction in in mainstream, Royal Enfield’s plan is for a lower powered city bike in the vein of the Super Soco we’ve reviewed in the past.
The Flying Flea looks to combine deeply retro design elements from the machines which lend their name to the new model, with some very futuristic touches. Royal Enfield claim to have filed 28 patents in creating their first EV and say they have developed a highly customisable machine with over 200,000 ride mode combinations. Two products, the classically styled Flying Flea C6 and the scrambler style S6, are expected to go on sale in Spring 2026.
These new models come on the back of a period of record sales for the Indian owned company. While the majority of the motorcycle industry is struggling with a slump in sales, Royal Enfield broke through the 100,000 units per month barrier in October. The vast majority of the 110,000 sales came in the company’s home market, but with 10,000 export sales the company truly is a global player. A total of 110,574 Royal Enfield motorbikes were sold in October 2024, representing an increase of 31% over the same period 12 months previous, with the company declaring itself the global leader in the mid-size (250-750cc) motorcycle market.
